Lincoln man charged with doing $1,400 in damage to police cruiser

LINCOLN, Maine — A town man accused of doing more than $1,400 in damage to a police cruiser after police said he failed a field sobriety test is due in Lincoln District Court on Dec. 26, officials said Wednesday.

Michael Scott Raymond, 23, was charged with criminal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence, disorderly conduct, speeding and aggravated criminal mischief. He was released after an appearance in Lincoln District Court on Monday, a spokeswoman at Penobscot County Jail said.

Raymond was arrested after Officer John Walsh saw a car exceeding the speed limit on Penobscot Valley Avenue at about 9:55 p.m. on Sunday. Walsh said he clocked the car as moving at more than 60 miles per hour in a 30 miles per hour zone before it pulled over on Edwards Street, Police Chief William Lawrence said.

Raymond failed the sobriety test and tried to kick out the cruiser’s door and window after being handcuffed and placed inside the car, Lawrence said.

Walsh’s patrol was not among those being funded by a $1,460 state grant. Police are using the money to pay about 40 hours in police overtime for patrols that target drunk drivers over the holidays. The overtime patrols began Nov. 18 and will end Jan. 2., Lawrence said.

“We look all the time for OUIs, but this will be going after them specifically,” Lawrence said. “We hope that people will take this as a warning and be responsible.”

They are running in four-hour blocks and covering what police consider prime time to find drunk drivers, Lawrence said. So far, two OUI arrests have occurred thanks to the grant funding.